Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 100

Devanagari script

वनस्पतिगते सोमे ह्यध्वानं योऽधिगच्छति । भवन्ति पितरस्तस्य तं मासं रेणुभोजनाः

Transliteration

vanaspatigate some hyadhvānaṃ yo'dhigacchati | bhavanti pitarastasya taṃ māsaṃ reṇubhojanāḥ

Translation

സോമൻ വൃക്ഷാദി വനംസ്പതികളിൽ നിലകൊള്ളുന്ന സമയത്ത് ആരെങ്കിലും യാത്ര ആരംഭിച്ചാൽ, അവന്റെ ആ മാസത്തിൽ പിതൃക്കൾ പിണ്ഡ-തർപ്പണാദികളില്ലാതെ ‘രേണുഭോജികൾ’ (ധൂളിഭോജികൾ) ആകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• वनस्पतिगते: (when) in the Soma that has gone into a tree
• वनस्पतिगते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वनस्पति + गत (प्रातिपदिक; गत = √गम् (धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषसमासः; 'वनस्पतौ गते' इति; नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचन (locative singular) — qualifying 'सोमे'

• सोमे: in Soma
• सोमे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• अध्वानम्: the path
• अध्वानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• अधिगच्छति: reaches/attains
• अधिगच्छति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि + √गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• भवन्ति: become/are
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• पितरः: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• तम्: that
• तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'मासम्')

• मासम्: month
• मासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) / Avadhi (extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कालावधि (time-span)

• रेणुभोजनाः: dust-eating (subsisting on dust)
• रेणुभोजनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रेणु + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थः; 'रेणुं भोजनं येषाम्/रेणुभोजनाः' इति; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'पितरः')

Speaker

Śiva (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrthas (general)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī/Pārvatī (vocative implied by surrounding verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler sets out while the landscape shows lush vegetation under a pale moon; in the subtle realm, pitṛs appear thin and dusty, holding empty bowls—signifying deprivation of offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• Pitaraḥ (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Householder duties toward ancestors are prioritized; neglecting supportive rhythms of śrāddha and care is warned against.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha in this verse; it is framed within Revā-khaṇḍa’s dharmic instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A caution against undertaking travel during the specified period, due to its adverse effect on pitṛ-satisfaction.